Lehi Business
New American Fork indoor pickleball courts announced
Brynn Carnesecca | Lehi Free Press
With pickleball as America’s fastest-growing sport for three years running, American Fork residents have difficulty finding an open court space close to home. A few weeks ago, the Pickleball Kingdom franchise announced that a new indoor pickleball court will be opening in American Fork.
Neighbors and co-owners of the new location, Kaleb Scholes and John Peterson, have been hooked on pickleball since the height of COVID-19 in 2020.
“My brother-in-law is an avid pickleball player who got me started. He let me borrow his paddles, and I got bit by the pickleball bug,” Scholes shared. “One day John asked if I played pickleball, and we started playing together. We have been playing for the last two years a couple of times a week.”
Scholes continued, “We then got the idea to open up a pickleball club. Of course, we live in Utah and it’s nice for some parts of the year, and not so nice for the rest of it. We started looking around at different opportunities and stumbled on Pickleball Kingdom through John. He took his family down to Arizona where the headquarters are located. He happened to stop in at the Pickleball Kingdom there and met some of the corporate team. He was super impressed, called me and told me that they were the ones we needed to work with. We started talking to them and getting more information. We got excited and bought two locations here in Utah—one in West Jordan and one in American Fork.”
The team chose American Fork for all the up-and-coming businesses, the convenience to the freeway and other Utah locations, and the feeling of community they wanted the court to have. Although they have not chosen a specific location for Pickleball Kingdom, they have scouted out and are currently discussing multiple options.
“We hope there is a lot of interest. Pickleball is a great sport that is good for all ages and families,” Scholes expressed. “The opportunity to play indoors is great. We love being in Utah, but the weather is not always cooperative… Pickleball Kingdom’s mantra is ‘Play Indoors,’ so we hope there is a lot of love and willingness to come play indoors.”
When creating this new location, the neighbors place a high price on community and a welcoming environment for all skill levels.
“One of the things that drew us into Pickleball Kingdom was their emphasis on community. We wanted to make it a great opportunity, not only for pickleball pros but for anybody that wants to come out and try the sport,” Scholes said.
To foster all skill levels, Pickleball Kingdom will offer a free training program for youth, teens and adults of all ages.
As stated by the Pickleball Kingdom website, “People feel left out because they don’t know where to go, they don’t know what they need and they don’t have someone to teach them how to play. Let’s change that! Come to the Kingdom, we will supply everything, and a coach will teach you how to play. Why are we doing this, and all for free? It’s simple, we want to bless you with the gift of pickleball!”
Scholes and Peterson hope to bring in a new pickleball crowd with the easily adaptable program. With over 350 open franchises, the Pickleball Kingdom method is tried and true.
“We are excited to open up in American Fork, and hopefully there is a community there that wants to come to play pickleball,” Scholes shared.
Memberships for the American Fork location enable members to play as frequently as they would like. Pricing is not yet determined. For more information about Pickleball Kingdom, visit www.pickleballkingdom.com.
